The Potters and the Chamber of Secrets
by Sanura Bey
Summary: It's time for school again. With a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and all the First years will Harry, Evangeline, Ron and Hermione be able to figure out who is petrifying the student body of Hogwarts?
1. At Flourish and Blotts

At Flourish and Blotts

I can't believe it had 2 months and I hadn't heard from my brother. I had spent the time talking to the Ron and Hermione and they hadn't heard anything from him either. Hermione told me about her worry for him with my aunt and uncle. Harry had told us about them, about what they had done to him for eleven years and as much as I begged Albus he kept saying Harry was safer with the Dursleys and would remain there until such time. Ron Hermione and I wanted to do something to help him and get him out of that house, but since we couldn't use magic being underage. Plus, both Hermione and I couldn't do much from our positions.

"Eve," I turned to see Severus behind me. "Professor Dumbledore wants to see you." I smiled up at him from my seat in the library. Walking down the halls, I remembered during the summer the school seemed so much larger with no one inside except teachers and me. Most the time the teachers weren't even here.

"Evangeline," I smiled up at Albus and walked to his side and we continued my walk through the halls. "It would seem that Harry has left the Dursley's home and is now in the care of Arthur and Molly Weasley. Don't worry, he's unharmed."

"How did he get there?" I asked. The only way I can think of is either Floo powder or that car Ron had told me about; I was hoping Floo but knowing the boys in the family as I did…

"A flying car; It would seem Fred, George, and Ronald Weasley went to pick him up."

"That's sounds like them. Ron told me about the car but I never thought he would actually use it." He just gave me a look out of the corner of his eye and I laughed.

"Letters were sent out this morning and I received a response to two of them. The Weasley and Granger families will be going to Diagon Ally tomorrow, would you like to meet them?" He asked as we continued to walk down the halls.

"Of course, what time are they going to be there?" I asked him when we stopped in front of his office.

"Later this afternoon. Go get ready I'll send a reply to Mrs. Weasley immediately telling her of your decision." At that we went our separate ways, him to send his letter and for me to get ready.

Later that afternoon I stood in Dumbledore's office next to the fireplace. I took some of the powder and stepped into the fire.

"Diagon Ally." I called and next thing I saw was Diagon Ally.

"Eve!" I turned to see Hermione running up to me. We hugged each other tightly before separating.

"Hey! Where's Harry and Ron?" I asked her as we walked to Gringotts.

"I haven't seen them yet." We walked up the steps to Gringotts and almost went inside when she screamed out.

"Harry! Harry! Over here!" I turned to see Harry and Hagrid walking towards us. We ran down to meet them.

"What happened to your glasses? Hello, Hagrid - Oh, it's wonderful to see you two again!" She started to ramble.

"Are you going into Gringotts, Harry?" I asked him smiling.

"As soon as I've found the Weasleys," Harry said.

"Yeh won't have long ter wait," Hagrid said with a grin. We looked around: Sprinting up the crowded street were Ron, Fred, George, Percy, and an older man who I assumed was Mr. Weasley.

"Harry," Mr. Weasley panted. "We hoped you'd only gone one grate too far..." He mopped his glistening bald patch. "Molly's frantic - she's coming now -"

"Where did you come out?" Ron asked.

"Knockturn Alley," Hagrid said grimly.

"Excellent!" Fred and George said together.

"We've never been allowed in," said Ron enviously.

"I would hope not," I told them. An older woman came galloping into view, her handbag swinging wildly in one hand, a younger girl just clinging onto the other.

"Oh, Harry - oh, my dear - you could have been anywhere -" Mrs. Weasley, I assumed, gasping for her breath she pulled a large clothes brush out of her bag and began sweeping off the soot on Harry. Mr. Weasley took Harry's glasses, gave them a tap of his wand, and returned them, good as new.

"Well, gotta be off," said Hagrid, who was having his his hand wrung by Mrs. Weasley. "See yer at Hogwarts!" and he strode away, head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the packed street.

"Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes?" Harry asked Hermione, Ron and myself as we climbed the Gringotts steps. "Malfoy and his father."

"Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" said Mr. Weasley sharply behind us.

"No, he was selling -"

"So he's worried," said Mr. Weasley with grim satisfaction. "Oh, I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy for something..."

"You be careful, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley sharply as we bowed into the bank by a goblin at the door. "That family's trouble. Don't go biting off more than you can chew -"

"So you don't think I'm a match for Lucius Malfoy?" said Mr. Weasley indignantly, but he was distracted almost at once by the sight of Hermione's parents, who were standing nervously at the counter that ran all along the great marble hall, waiting for Hermione to introduce them. "But you're Muggles!" said Mr. Weasley delightedly. "We must have a drink! What's that you've got there? Oh, you're changing Muggle money. Molly, look!" He pointed excitedly at the money in Mr. Granger's hand.

"Meet you back here," Ron said to Hermione as the rest of us were led off to our underground vaults by another Gringotts goblin. The vaults were reached by means of small, goblin-driven carts that sped along miniature train tracks through the bank's underground tunnels. I felt horrible when the Weasley's vault. There was a small pile of silver Sickles inside, and just one gold Galleon. Mrs. Weasley felt right into the corners before sweeping the whole lot into her bag. I felt even worse when we rode to both Harry's and my own vaults were opened. I tried to block as much as I could as I hastily shoved handfuls of coins into my bag.

Back outside on the marble steps, we all separated. Percy muttered vaguely about needing a new quill. Fred and George had spotted Lee. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were going to a secondhand robe shop. Mr. Weasley was insisting on taking the Grangers off to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink.

"We'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your schoolbooks," said Mrs. Weasley, setting off with Ginny. "And not one step down Knockturn Alley!" she shouted at the twins' retreating backs. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I strolled off along the winding, cobbled street. The bag of gold, silver, and bronze jangling cheerfully in my pocket was begging to be spent, so Harry and I bought everyone large strawberry-and-peanut-butter ice creams. which we slurped happily as we wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows. Ron would gaze longingly at a full set of Chudley Cannon robes in the windows of Quality Quidditch Supplies until Hermoine dragged us off to buy ink and parchment next door. In Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, we met Fred, George and Lee who were stocking up of Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks, and in a tiny junk shop full of broken wands, lopsided brass scales, and old cloaks covered in potion stains we found Percy, deeply immersed in a small and deeply boring book called Prefects Who Gained Power.

"A study of Hogwarts prefects and their later careers," Ron read aloud off the back cover. "That sounds fascinating..."

"Go away," Percy snapped at us.

"'Course, he's very ambitious, Percy, he's got it all planned out... He wants to be Minister of Magic..." Ron told us in an undertone as we left Percy to it. An hour later, we headed for Flourish and Blotts. We were by no means the only ones making our way to the bookshop. As they approached it, we saw to our surprise a large crowd jostling outside the doors, trying to get in. The reason for this was proclaimed by a large banner stretched across the upper windows:

Gilderoy Lockheart

will be signing copies of his autobiography

Magical Me

today 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

"We can actually meet him!" Hermione squealed. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!" The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches around Mrs. Weasley's age. A harassed-looking wizard stood at the door, saying, "Calmly, please, ladies... Don't push, there... mind the books, now..." The four of us squeezed inside. A long line wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockheart was signing his books. We each grabbed a copy of The Standard Book of Spells in each needed level and snuck up the line to where the rest of the Weasleys were standing with Mr. and Mrs. Granger.

"Oh, there you are, good," said Mrs. Weasley. She sounded breathless and kept patting her hair. "We'll be able to see him in a minute..." Gilderoy Lockheart came slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd. The real Lockheart was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue that exactly matched his eyes; his pointed wizard's hat was set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair. A short, irritable-looking man was dancing around taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.

"Out of the way, there," he snarled at Ron, moving back to get a better shot. "This is for the Daily Prophet-"

"Big deal," said Ron, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it. Gilderoy Lockheart heard him. He looked up. He saw Ron - and then turned his head slightly towards the rest of our group. He stared.

Then he leapt to his feet and positively shouted, "It can't be Evangeline and Harry Potter?" The crowd parted, whispering excitedly; Lockheart dived forward, seized our arms, and pulled us to the front. The crowd burst into applause. My face burned as Lockheart shook mine then my brothers hands for the photographer, who was clicking away madly, wafting thick smoke over our friends and their families.

"Nice big smile," said Lockheart, through his own gleaming teeth. "Together, the three of us are worth the front page." When he finally let go of our hands, I could hardly feel my fingers. We tried to sidle back over to our friends, but Lockheart threw his arms around his shoulders and clamped us tightly to his sides.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time! When the young Potters here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, they only wanted to boy my autobiography - which I shall be happy to present them now, free of charge -" the crowd applauded again. "They had no idea," Lockheart continued, giving me a little shake, "that they would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, Magical Me. They and their schoolmates, will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" the crowd cheered and clapped and I got the wind knocked out of me by the stack of books being thrust into my chest. Staggering slightly under their weight, Harry and I managed to make our way out of the limelight to the edge of the room, where the Weasleys were standing.

"You have these," Harry said as we each gave our stacks to one of the redheads. "We'll buy our own-"

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potters?" said a voice I knew very well. Harry straightened himself and we turned to face Draco. "Famous Evangeline and Harry Potter, can't even go into a bookstore without making the front page."

"Leave them alone, they didn't want all that!" Ginny said. Fred stepped in front of me, pushing me back behind him and George. The three Weasley's were glaring at Draco.

"Look's like you've got yourself some dates!" Draco sneered at us. Ginny and the twins went scarlet as Ron and Hermione fought their way over, both clutching stacks of Lockheart's books.

"Oh, it's you," Ron said, looking at Draco as if he were something unpleasant on the side of the road. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry and Eve here, eh?"

"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," Draco retorted. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those." Ron went as red as Ginny. He dropped his books into Ginny's cauldron and started toward Draco, but Harry, Hermione and I held grabbed him.

"Ron!" Mr. Weasley said as he struggled to reach us. "What are you doing? It's too crowded in here, let's go outside."

"Well, well, well - Arthur Weasley." Mr. Malfoy stood behind Draco with his hand on his son's shoulder, sneering at us as his son did.

"Lucius," said Mr. Weasley, nodding coldly.

"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Mr. Malfoy. "All those raids... I hope they're paying you overtime?" he reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted, from amid the glossy Lockheart books from our brothers, a very old, very battered copy of A beginner's Guide to Transfiguration. "Obviously, not. Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?" Mr. Weasley flushed darker than any of his children.

"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," he said.

"Clearly," Mr. Malfoy said, his pale eyes straying to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you keep, Weasley... and I thought your family could sink no lower -" There was a thud of metal as Ginny's cauldron went flying; Mr. Weasley had thrown himself at Mr. Malfoy, knocking him backward into a bookshelf. Dozens of heavy spellbooks came thundering down on all our heads. Someone had managed to grab my arm and pull me away from most of the falling books. I looked in almost shock to see Draco standing next to me, his hand still gripping my arm, as all the Weasley's shouted something different for Mr. Weasley to try and follow.

"Break it up, there, gents, break it up-" Hagrid was wading toward them through the sea of books and people. In an instant he had pulled Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy apart. Mr. Weasley had a cut lip and Mr. Malfoy had been hit in the eye by an Encyclopedia of Toadstools. He was still holding Ginny's old Transfiguration book. He thrust it at her, his eyes glittering with malice.

"Here girl - take your book - it's the best your father can give you -" pulling himself out of Hagrid's grip he beckoned to Draco, who had removed his hand from me before anyone else could notice, and they swept from the shop.

"Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur," said Hagrid, almost lifting Mr. Weasley off his feet as he straightened his robes. "Rotten ter the core, the whole family," I looked down at the books under my feet. How could all of them be rotten to the core if Draco made moved me away from most of the damage? "Everyone know that - no Malfoy's worth listenin' ter - bad blood, that what it is - come on now - let's get outta here." The assistant looked as though he wanted to stop us from leaving, but he barely came up to Hagrid's waist and seemed to think better of it. We hurried up the street, the Grangers shaking with fright and Mrs. Weasley beside herself with fury.

"A fine example to set for your children... brawling in public... what Gilderoy Lockheart must've thought-"

"He was pleased," Fred told her. "Didn't you hear him as we were leaving? He was asking that bloke from the Daily Prophet if he'd be able to work the fight into his report - said it was all publicity -" But it was a subdued group that headed back to the fireside in the Leaky Cauldron, where Harry, the Weasley's and I with all our shopping would be traveling back to our respected destinations using Floo powder. We said good-bye to the Grangers, who were leaving the pub for the Muggle street on the other side; Mr. Weasley started to ask them how bus stops worked, but stopped quickly at the look on his wife's face. I watched Harry take off his glasses and put them safely in his pocket before waiting for his turn at the Floo powder. I said my good-bye's and stuffed my belongings into the fireplace with me before returning home.


	2. The beginning to the new year

Summer soon ended and I sat in the Great Hall with the other students, except the first years, at the Gryffindor Table covered in golden plates and sparkling goblets. Overhead, the bewitched ceiling, which always mirrored the sky outside, sparkled with stars. When Professor McGonagall brought the first years in, Ginny could easily be seen among them because of her vivid Weasley hair. When they reached the front Professor McGonagall placed the famous Hogwarts Sorting Hat on a stool before the newcomers.

Every year, this aged old hat, patched, frayed and dirty, sorted new students into the four Hogwarts houses. I remembered putting it on and waiting, petrified, for its decision as it muttered in my ear. For a few horrible seconds I had feared that the hat was going to put me in Slytherin, the House that had turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other - but I had ended up in Gryffindor, along with my brother, all the Weasleys and Hermione. Last term, Harry, Hermione and I had helped Gryffindor win the House Championship, beating Slytherin for the first time in seven years. A very small, mousy-haired boy had been called forward to place the hat on his head. I watched as he was sorted into his house and the next new student was called. Finally all the students were sorted and the feast began. Afterwords I''d decided to just go to sleep and look for the boys tomorrow during breakfast.


End file.
